George Stephanopoulos was repeatedly told by his executive producer not to “use the word rape” before going on to discuss Donald Trump, but the ABC News anchor ignored the warning – a decision that led to the network $16 million was lost, the Post has learned.
Parent company Disney’s surrender last week in Trump’s defamation suit against ABC News and Stephanopoulos stunned the media and legal experts, but this devastating revelation may help explain why Mouse House CEO Bob Iger reached a settlement so quickly. Why did you sign it?
While discussing the civil lawsuit won by journalist E. Jean Carroll during an interview with Republican lawmaker Nancy Mace in March, the “This Week” host said Trump was “liable for rape.”
“Rape” and defamed former President Donald Trump before going on air,
Sources said. gc images
“‘This Week’ producers told us ‘don’t use the word rape’ before the segment started,” a network source told The Post. “EP [executive producer] Said this many times.”
A second source at the show confirmed via a text message seen by The Post that Stephanopoulos was warned “not to say rape.”
Legal experts told The Post that Disney’s chances of winning the lawsuit would be worse if Stephanopoulos ignored his producer’s warning.
Often, when dealing with litigious topics, the company’s legal team may speak to producers ahead of time to advise on language so as to avoid lawsuits, which is customary in the media industry.
However, it is unclear whether ABC’s legal team was involved before Stephanopoulos aired.
ABC News declined to comment. Representatives for Disney and Stephanopoulos did not respond to requests for comment.
Iger agreed to the settlement late Friday night — hours after Florida Judge Cecilia Altonaga rejected a request to delay the case and ordered Trump and Stephanopoulos to sit for hours of testimony, days before Christmas. new York Times informed Wednesday.
According to the Times, the judge also demanded that Disney turn over emails and text messages sent by Stephanopoulos by Sunday — which could lead to the media mogul being forced to leave if the damaging text messages came to light.
Disney’s top lawyer, Horacio Gutierrez, urged Iger to settle the suit rather than risk a civil trial before a jury in the president-elect’s home state. people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal.
According to the Times, Iger was also concerned that fighting the case could “harm press safety” and “damage the Disney brand”.
If Disney suffered a negative outcome in the U.S. District Court in Florida, the company feared the potential consequences of appealing to the Supreme Court, given its current 6–3 right-wing majority.
According to the Journal, Disney was concerned that appealing an adverse ruling to the Supreme Court would potentially increase the risk of overturning New York Times v. Sullivan, the landmark 1964 decision that provided the press with broad protections against defamation suits.
Sources also told The Post that one factor in Iger’s thinking was that he did not want any litigation hanging over his company’s flagship television property ahead of a potential sale.
The deal provided $15 million for a presidential foundation and museum for Trump and $1 million for Trump’s attorney fees.
As part of the settlement, Stephanopoulos was forced to apologize – which Journalist made “apoptetic” and “humiliated” The Post reported exclusively on Tuesday — in an article headlined: “Furious George.”
A source said ABC News staffers are now calling Stephanopoulos “Angry George” behind his back. They are also wondering how the star anchor can now cover the incoming Trump administration.
“Everyone seems to be asking that question except ABC executives,” the source said.
Trump initially filed the lawsuit in March.
A few days later, the anchor went on CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and reiterated his claim that “rape” was an appropriate word to use, based on comments made by the judge in the New York case.
Stephanopoulos said of Trump’s lawsuit, “I’m not going to be afraid to do my job because of threats.”
Trump has denied all wrongdoing toward Carroll, but last year a New York court found him liable for sexual assault over allegations that he abused her at a department store in 1996 and later at his had defamed him in statements where he denied his allegations.
